The results of a new study led by Linda Pagani, professor at the School of Psychoeducation at the University of Montreal, show the long-term risks associated with early exposure to violent content in childhood and subsequent antisocial behavior in adolescence, more a decade later.
“Although previous evidence showing causal links between modeling and rewarding violence had an immediate impact on aggressive behavior in 4-year-old children, few studies have investigated the long-term risks of antisocial behavior. We studied such risks in the mid-adolescence, explained Pagani, who is also a researcher at the Azrieli Research Center at CHU Sainte-Justine. It was ideal to study this question with typically developing middle-class children because, as a population, they have the least chance of engaging in aggression. . and behavior harmful to others.”
Nearly 2,000 children
In total, Pagani and his team looked at 963 girls and 982 boys born between the springs of 1997 and 1998 who were enrolled in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Parents reported the frequency of their children’s exposure to violent television content at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years. Boys and girls then reported on various aspects of antisocial behavior at age 15.
The study defines on-screen violence as anything “characterized by physical aggression, verbal aggression, and relational aggression.” […] that depict situations that intentionally attempt or cause harm to others.” Children, the study says, “are drawn to fast-paced, stimulating violent content, which often features engaging superhero-like characters who commit and are rewarded for acts aggressive, thus increasing the probability of exposure.”
The researchers then conducted analyzes to examine whether exposure to violent television content at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years predicted subsequent antisocial behavior eleven years later.
The researcher added: “Statistically we took into account alternative child and family factors that could have explained our results, to be as close as possible to the truth in the relationships we were analyzing.”
the boys stand out
At age 15, for boys only, violent television in preschool predicted increases in antisocial behavior. Being exposed to violent content in early childhood predicted later aggressive behaviors such as hitting or hitting another person, with the intention of obtaining something, stealing, with or without apparent reason.
Risks also included threats, insults and involvement in gang fights. Weapon use is also among the behavioral outcomes predicted by exposure to childhood television violence in this study. No effects were found in girls, which was not surprising given that boys are generally more exposed to that type of content.
Pagani concluded: “Our study provides compelling evidence that early childhood exposure to media violence can have serious and long-lasting consequences, especially for children. This underscores the urgent need for public health initiatives that target media campaigns. to inform parents and communities about the long-term effects. risks and empower them to make informed decisions about young children’s exposure to screen content.
The entire team of students from the University of Montreal and researchers from the United States and Italy established that “parents and communities can play a crucial role in limiting future problems by carefully avoiding young children’s exposure to violent content in the media.” media”.